1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to structural components for aircraft, and deals more particularly with a wing slat formed of composite materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve the lift characteristics of large commercial and military aircraft, particularly during low speed operation, wings are equipped with high lift, auxiliary devices known as slats. The slats are mounted on the leading edge of the wings so as to pivot or slide outwardly from the leading edge, from a stowed to a deployed position. Typically, leading edge slats are moved downward and forward from the leading edge of the wing using either linear or rotary actuators which move a track or an arm attached to the slat.
In the past, slats have been fabricated using metal and metal alloys using metal-to-metal bonds. Metallic slats suffer from a number of shortcomings, including metal bonding problems which contribute to in-service maintenance, impact damage and corrosion. In addition, metallic slats are fabricated from numerous metal components which must be individually manufactured and assembled, making the slats relatively expensive to manufacture, and adding unnecessary weight to the aircraft.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wing slat construction having a reduced number of parts which is also lighter in weight. The present invention is directed towards satisfying this need.